Strip film developing tank



March 29, 1949. v. 1... HUBBARD STRIP FILM DEVELOPING TANK Filed Jan. 31, 1946 I INVEN TOR.

Verna/7 Hubbard )4 it omey.

Patented Mar. 29, 1949 STRIP FILM DEVELOPING TANK Vernon L. Hubbard, Denver, 0010., Eva '1. Hubbard administratrix dc bonis non of said Vernon L. Hubbard, deceased Application January 31, 194.6, Serial No. 644,545

6 Claims.

This invention relates to the art of photography as practiced on and through the agency of strip film having a length many times in excess of its width, and more particularly to the treatment of such film after exposure for the development and fixation of images thereon imposed, and has as an object to provide improved means and facilities for such purpose.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved means and techniques for the handling and treatment of exposed strip film during development and fixation of the images thereon.

A further object of, the invention is to provide improved light-scalable means, for the accommodation and support of strip film during development and fixation of images thereon.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved strip film conditioning means employable to efiect conventional film development un der normal light conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved strip film supporting and accommodating means arranged for the selective application of developing, washing, and fixing liquids to and for effect on said film under normal light conditions.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved strip film conditioning means where- With the film strip to be-treated is associated with a minimum of possible damage to the film surfaces.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved film conditioning means susceptible of convenient development in a wide range of sizes particularly adapted for use with conventional strip film sizes.

A further object of the invention is to provide improved strip film conditioning means of simple, unitary, portable type adapted for the development and fixation of strip images without coiling, rubbing, orhandling of the film strip during such operations:

A further objectof the invention is to provide an improved strip film conditioning unit which obviates the need for conventional dark-rooms and related laboratory equipment normally utilized in the development and fixation of film images.

A further object of the invention isto provide an improved strip film conditioning unit that is simple and inexpensive of manufacture, convenient of use, and efiicient to accomplishment of the ends for which designed.

With the foregoing and other. objects in view, my inventionconsists in. the construction, ar-

rangement, and combination of elements hereinafter set forth, pointed out in my claims, and illustrated by the accompanying drawing, in which- Figure l is a somewhat conventionalized view, largely in section, taken longitudinally and axially through a typical embodiment of the improvement, a midportion of the construction being broken away to conserve space. Figure 2 is a cross section taken substantially on the indicated line 2-2 of Figure Figure 3 is a fragmentary, longitudinal section through the midportion of the improvement as viewed perpendicularly to the showing of Figure 1.

Current practices in popular photography tend toward increasing use-of relatively narrow strip film in units several feet in length, such film being commercially available in units well standardized as to width and length. Treatment of such film for the development and fixation of images thereon introduces problems normally beyond the scope of equipment available outside of commercial laboratories and onerously complicates manipulations necessary to dark-room techniques, and it is to the provision of means for conveniently and efficiently resolving the problems peculiar to image development on strip film that the instant invention is directed.

Whatever may be the specific construction, size, and arrangement of the elements comprised in the improvement, all of said elements are arranged to cooperate in a unitary assembly with, on, and about an open-ended, straight, rigid, opaque, elongate tube IO which hence serves as the prime basis of the assembly. The tube Ill may be of any material which is light-impermeable, resistant to the chemicals utilized in the development and fixation of film images, inflexible, and sufiiciently strong to withstand the hazards of handling and manipulation to which it is subject in use, and a particular tube 10 is preferably sized to a length some inches in excess of the film strip length to be accommodated therein and to an interior diameter slightly exceeding the width of the standard film to be therewith associated. The interior bore of the tube Iii opens without obstruction through the opposite tube ends, and resiliently-compressible plugs or stoppers, of rubber or analogous material, are provided to engage within and tightly close the tube ends against the admission of light and the escape of liquid when and as a closed tube condition is desired. One of the plugs or stoppers, indicated at l I, is axially traversed by a suitable nipple l2 which extends outwardly beyond the exterior end of the plug and is conditioned for operative engagement of its projecting end with a length I3 of flexible conduit, such as hose or tubing. The other of the plugs or stoppers, indicated at l4, accommodates and is axially traversed by a conventional valve assembly l5, such as a pneumatic tire valve, wherein a plunger i6 is normally spring-urged into closing relation with the valve passage and is selectively movable to open a passage through the plug I4. Frictional engagement of the plug walls within and against the tube ends is normally suflicient to secure said plugs in closing relation with the tube, but to entirely eliminate the possibility of either plug becoming unintentionally dislodged from its closing relation with a tube end, suitable catches l! are operatively mounted on and adjacent the opposite tube ends, said catches being of any specific form and constructionadapted to provide a finger normally spring-urged into engagement over the associated plug exterior end, which finger is yieldable under properly-applied pressure to clear the adjacent plug for intentional removal thereof from the tube.

As will be obvious, the plug M with its valve assembly seals the end of the tube Ill wherewith it is associated against admission of light, and the plug II with its flexible conduit I3 coiled into one or more loops and retained in such relation by means of a clamp l8 similarly excludes light from admission through the tube end wherein said plug is seated, so that, with the plugs H and M in stopping relation with the tube ends, the interior of the tube 9 is wholly dark and not subject to any infiltration of light. Mounting of the film strip to be treated within the tube IE] is conveniently accomplished by engaging the available end of the strip I9 between the jaws of a spring clamp 2!] wherefrom a length of cord 2|, or like fiexible connection, extends to attachment with a weight 22 of a size to pass freely through the tube bore, whereafter, the plugs l and M being removed from the tube, said weight 22 is permitted to descend through the tube bore and draw the film strip I9 from its spool or other mounting and into extended relation longitudinally within said tube, the relation between the strip width and the tube bore diameter serving to maintain said strip in approximately diametric relation with the tube bore and out of any rubbing contact between the strip and tube interior surfaces. As the other ends of the film strip l9 approaches its entrance within the tube ii], a second spring clip 20, provided with a length of cord 2|, is engaged with the strip end and permitted to enter the tube, so that, when the entire length of strip I9 is within the tube 10, the cords 2| of the clips 20 extend through and outwardly beyond the opposite tube open ends, in which position of the strip and cords the plugs II and [4 are inserted and pressed into closing relation with the tube ends, thereby clamping engaged portions of the cords 2| tightly between plug and tube end surfaces to mount the extended and tensioned film strip longitudinally of the tube interior and at the same time close the tube against the admission of light. As will be obvious, insertion of the film strip interiorly of the tube H] and closing of the tube ends in the manner above described is accomplished in a dark-room, closet, or other light-free enclosure, and can readily be completed by feel and without the aid of vision because of the simplicity, limited numher, and obvious characteristics of apparatus elements employed.

The light-sealed tube containing the film strip i9 may be brought into normally-lighted regions for the actual treatment of the film, and such treatment is then had by feeding a developing solution through the flexible conduit l3, as by means of a funnel 23, connection with an elevated tank, or the like, and facilitating the escape of air from the tube interior through manipulation of the valve plunger IS in the plug M with said tube in a position approaching the horizontal such as elevates the plug I4 end thereof slightly above its plug end. The desired amount of developing solution having been charged within the tube l0, said tube may be tilted, rocked, rolled, and otherwise agitated during the time period requisite for said solution to act on the film; whereafter elevation of the tube end carrying the plug I4 and manipulation of the valve plunger It will serve to clear the tube of the developing solution and condition the unit for the reception of wash Water and fixing solution, in such sequence or alternation as may be desired, until the desired processing of the film strip has been completed. The treated film may remain within the tube iii until thoroughly dry, such drying being facilitated by warming of the tube walls or by the passage of heated air through the tube interior, or said film may be removed from the tube in its extended condition and suspended, by means of one or the other of the cords 2|, until drying has been finished. When the tube I0 is of heatresistant material, the solutions employed in the treatment of the film strip may be initially heated to any temperatures desired, or the solutions may be introduced to the tube at room temperatures and the tube exteriorly subjected to heating influences until the tube solution is raised to a suitable or desired temperature.

Since many changes, variations, and modifications in the specific form, construction, and arrangement of the elements shown and described may be had without departing from the spirit of my invention, I wish to be understood as being limited solely by the scope of the appended claims, rather than by any details of the illustrative showing and foregoing description.

I claim as my invention:

1. Strip film conditioning means comprising a straight, open-ended, opaque tube, removable and replaceable end closures friotionally engaged in light and liquid sealing relation Within the tube ends, selectively-actuatable catches on the tube end portions to normally engage over outer ends of and retain said end closures in sealing cooperation with the tube, a manually-actuatable valve controlling and normally closing an air passage through one of said end closures, a liquid-flow passage through the other of said end closures exteriorly connecting with a flexible conduit, a convolution in said conduit for the inhibition of light travel therethrough, and means adjustably clamped between each of said tube ends and the associated end closure to position and hold a film strip extended longitudinally and interiorly of said tube.

2. Strip film conditioning means comprising a straight, open-ended, opaque tube, removable and replaceable end closures frictionally engaged in light and liquid sealing relation within the tube ends, light excluding means carried by and opening through one of said end closures for the selective passage of liquids to and from the closed tube interior, spring clamps engaged with the opposite ends of a film strip, and a flexible cord on each of said clamps frictionally and adjustably clamped between engaged tube end and closure surfaces to position and hold the film strip engaged by the clamps extended longitudinally and interiorly of said tube.

3. Strip film conditioning means comprising a straight, open-ended, opaque tube, removable and replaceable end closures frictionally engaged in light and liquid sealing relation within the tube ends, selectively-actuatable catches on the tube end portions to normally engage over outer ends of and retain said end closures in sealing cooperation with the tube, light excluding means carried by and opening through one of said end closures for the selective passage of liquids to and from the closed tube interior, spring clamps engaged with the opposite ends of a film strip, and a flexible cord on each of said clamps frictionally and adjustably clamped between engaged tube end and closure surfaces to position and hold the film strip engaged by the clamps extended longitudinally and interiorly of said tube.

4. Strip film conditioning means comprising a straight, open-ended, opaque tube, removable and replaceable end closures frictionally engaged in light and liquid sealing relation within the tube ends, a manually-actuatable valve controlling and normally closing an air passage through one of said end closures, a liquid-flow passage through the other of said end closures exteriorly in said conduit for the inhibition of light travel therethrough, spring clamps engaged with the opposite ends of a film strip, and a flexible cord on each of said clamps frictionally and adjustabl'y clamped between engaged tube end and closure surfaces to position and hold the film strip engaged by the clamps extended longitudinally and interiorly of said tube.

5. Strip film conditioning means comprising a straight, open-ended, opaque tube, removable and replaceable end closures irictionally engaged in light and liquid sealing relation within the tube ends, selectively-actuatable catches on the tube end portions to normally engage over outer ends of and retain said end closures in sealing cooperation with the tube, a manuallyactuatable valve controlling and normally closing an air passage through one of said end closures, a liquid-flow passage through the other of said end closures exteriorly connecting with a flexible conduit, a convolution in said conduit for connecting with a flexible conduit, a convolution the inhibition of light travel therethrough, spring clamps engaged with the opposite ends of a film strip, and a flexible cord on each of said clamps frictionally and adjustably clamped between engaged tube end and closure surfaces to position and hold the film strip engaged by the clamps extended longitudinally and interiorly of said tube.

6. In a film strip conditioner of the character described having a straight, open-ended, opaque tube, removable and replaceable end closures frictionally engaged in light and liquid sealing relation Within the tube ends, and light excluding means for the selective passage of liquids to and from the closed tube interior, means cooperable with said tube and end closures to mount, position, and hold a film strip extended longitudinally and interiorly of said tube, said latter means comprising spring clamps separately engaging the opposite ends of a film strip, a flexible cord on each of said clamps frictionally and adjustably clamped between engaged tube end and closure surfaces, and a weight on the free end of one of said cords freely receivable in and to slide through said tube.

VERNON L. HUBBARD.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 766,887 Leighton Aug. 9, 1904 887,055 Barnes et al. May 12, 1908 1,044,433 Bell Nov. 12, 1912 1,051,789 Wallace Jan, 28, 1913 1,194,707 Bryant Aug. 15, 1916 1,481,759 Siguira Jan. 22, 1924 1,501,904 Harris Jul 22, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 31 Great Britain 1908 30,272 Great Britain 1910 269,335 Great Britain Apr, 21, 1927 579,445 Germany June 26, 1933 7 512,617 Great Britain Sept. 21, 1939 OTHER REFERENCES American Photograph, vol. 27, December 1933, pages 744-746.

Camera Magazine, Philadelphia, vol. 46, April 1933, pages 254 and 255. 

